The Overland Park Farmers Market just celebrated 44 years with a brand-new home at Clock Tower Landing, and the woman at the helm of this local Kansas City experience is telling us everything. Grab a coffee (or a strawberry matcha) and settle in for the ultimate insider's guide to KC's favorite Saturday (and Wednesday!) tradition.

In this episode, Mindy sits down with Kristina Stanley, longtime manager of the Overland Park Farmers' Market and a nearly 30 year veteran of the City of Overland Park Parks and Recreation Department. Kristina takes us from her very first summer job as a lifeguard to running one of the most awarded farmers markets in the country, and shares the full story behind the market's massive renovation, from the original 2017 study all the way to this year's ribbon cutting at the new Clock Tower Landing, held exactly 44 years to the date of the market's very first day back in 1982.

We get into what actually makes this market tick: the 65/35 farm to specialty vendor ratio, why over 110 vendors from as far as Manhattan, Kansas and Columbia, Missouri show up as early as 1:30am, and the small business success stories that started as a market booth and grew into full Kansas City restaurants and brick and mortars. Kristina also breaks down the market's food equity programs, the new plan to go fully year round with winter markets, the wellness trends showing up in vendor booths (hello, A2 dairy and gluten free flour), and the celebrities who quietly shop the aisles right alongside everyone else.

Whether you're a longtime locavore, new to Overland Park, or just looking for your next Saturday (or Wednesday) morning plan, this conversation is your complete guide to shopping local in Kansas City.

Topics covered in this episode include the history of the Overland Park Farmers Market since 1982, the new Clock Tower Landing pavilion and canopies, how the market curates farm and specialty vendors, the EBT and Double Up Food Bucks match program, seasonal shopping tips, small businesses that got their start at the market, safety and staffing behind the scenes, winter market plans, and Kristina's own Kansas City bucket list.

Overland Park Farmers Market website: opkansas.gov/farmers-market
Instagram: instagram.com/opfarmersmarket/
Facebook: facebook.com/DowntownOverlandParkFarmersMarket
Kristina Stanley: linkedin.com/in/kristina-stanley-54136111/

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CHAPTERS

0:00 – Welcome back: catching up after the market's big move
0:25 – Fast facts: 44 years, 110+ vendors, 36 languages, now year round
2:16 – From teenage lifeguard to market manager: Kristina's 29 year career
5:15 – What's a locavore? Explaining the market experience to newcomers
8:17 – Why community connection matters more than ever
11:45 – Multi-generational shopping and kids working the family booth
13:39 – Something for everyone: solo trips, date days, and family outings
16:59 – What counts as a vendor? The farm to specialty ratio explained
18:46 – How downtown Overland Park and the market support each other
19:15 – Seasonal shopping: Kristina's favorite finds
21:46 – Planning a full dinner party from market ingredients
23:48 – Surprise finds: flowers, gifts, and one stop shopping
25:42 – Market history: back to 1982 and five dollar a day pickup vendors
29:21 – Inside the renovation: from 2017 study to Clock Tower Landing
30:36 – A full circle ribbon cutting, 44 years to the day
31:59 – A vendor's day: 1:30am wake ups and a 250 mile radius
34:10 – Vendor success stories: Yoli, Slow Rise, Taco Naco, and more
45:39 – Standing out among the metro's many farmers markets
53:15 – Food access: EBT and the Double Up Food Bucks program
56:16 – Going year round: the new winter market schedule
1:05:22 – Exploring Clock Tower Landing's pavilion, canopies, and live music
1:07:01 – Behind the scenes safety: police, CERT teams, and city support
1:08:57 – Wellness trends: clean eating, protein, gluten free, and A2 dairy
1:13:47 – Celebrity sightings: Chiefs players, Royals, and more
1:16:17 – Rapid fire: Kristina's Kansas City bucket list
1:18:21 – Kristina's perfect day off in KC
1:23:31 – Wrap up and thank yous

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